The overweight and obesity rate among students in Ho Chi Minh City surged to 43.7 percent in 2019 from 21.9 percent in 2009, according to results of a study on 12,000 students unveiled on Thursday.

The figure is also twice that of Vietnam.

The survey was carried out at 33 schools, including 10 elementary schools, 12 middle schools, and 11 high schools, with more than 12,000 students equal in age, gender as well as living area, whether it is the inner or outer part of the city.

In elementary schools, the proportion of overweight and obese students jumped to 56.9 percent in 2019 from 38.5 percent in 2009.

That of middle school and high school students in the city soared to 41.9 percent from 15.7 percent, and to 25.3 percent from 9.4 percent, respectively.

The overall rate of all three school levels nearly doubled during the ten-year period, to 43.7 percent from 21.9 percent.

In terms of gender, obese male students outnumbered female students, according to Pham Ngoc Oanh, head of the nutrition department at the municipal Center for Disease Control, who announced results of the survey on Thursday.

The rate is also higher among children living in the inner city than those in the suburbs, the expert added.

Two positive findings from the survey were the declines of the stunting and malnutrition rates to 2.8 percent from 7.5 percent, and to 2.5 percent from 6.8 percent, respectively.

Reasons for obesity increase

Tang Kim Hong, deputy dean of the faculty of public health at Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine, said that another survey conducted in five years showed Ho Chi Minh City’s students exercised too little.

Only 26.1 percent of high school students participated in physical activities for at least 60 minutes a day for seven consecutive weeks.

Rates of students in four middle school grades who were not frequently physically active ranged from 24.4 percent to 34.9 percent.

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, kindergarteners in the city achieved only 18 percent of the recommended physically-active rate while spending more than 40 percent of their time on laptops and mobile phones.

“Lack of physical activities is a major risk for obesity, endothelial dysfunction, and more seriously early atherosclerosis,” Hong said.

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